


Repairs

by Brightgemini



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005), Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: Book 29: Cold Fusion, F/M, Post-War, Pre-Episode: s01e01 Rose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:02:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29707908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brightgemini/pseuds/Brightgemini
Summary: After the devastation of The Time War, The Doctor gets help repairing The Tardis from a long lost love.
Relationships: Ninth Doctor/Patience
Kudos: 1





	Repairs

He saw her often these days. Before The War he’d never dared to call her up, though she was never far from his thoughts, instead, he’d always busied himself with friends and adventures, anything it took to miss her less. Now he rarely seemed to go a mere couple of days without calling her to his side.

She looked the same today as she ever did, perfectly put together in her long, red and gold dress, soft blonde hair twisted in an elegantly complicated knot on the back of her neck, the picture of a perfect Time Lady. And perfectly out of place in the chaos of his console room.

“This place is a mess.” She commented idly as he crawled out from under the console for the first time in what felt like hours but was likely far longer. “My father would be rolling in his grave…”

“It’s a work in progress.” He reminded her, sitting up and fiddling with a couple of the loose wires sticking out of the control panel, “Can’t get proper parts anymore and it’s taking a little more jerryrigging than expected to make what I’ve got play nice with our girl here.”

“You should take a break.” She reminded him in a firm tone, “You’ve been down there for days.”

“Naw, can’t have been.” He scoffed, frowning slightly at his work, “I just started working on this section this morning.”

“No, my love, that was two days ago.” She insisted with a pointed look, “But don’t take my word for it, your nose will tell you the same. You haven’t showered in at least that long.”

“Your word is good enough.” He conceded after a moment’s hesitation, becoming conscious of his odor when it was mentioned, though he made no move to rectify the issue, instead waving a hand at the scanner, “Do me a favor, take a look at those readings. I can’t make heads nor tails of them.”

“And why would you think that I would do any better?” She raised an eyebrow at him, though she was already picking her way through the mass of wires and various spare parts strewn across the floor to investigate the screen, the hem of her dress lifted high enough to show a flash of ankle above the signature gold heels he often teased her for loving.

“You’re smarter than me.” He shrugged, making a point of keeping his eyes on his work rather than watch her go.

That made her laugh, a soft, genuine laugh that reminded him of a time when he would have done anything just to hear that sound. She shook her head at him, “Even if that was true once, and I’m not saying it was, but even if it was, it’s thoroughly impossible now and we both know why.”

“Patience…” He warned, hands stilling, eyes snapping to her face. There were things now that he couldn’t bare to speak of, even when alone.

“Your temporal stabilizer is shot.” She declared, turning the screen for him to see.

“Don’t know how I missed that.” He grinned sheepishly.

“You didn’t. You’re just making me feel useful.” She accused, a slight smile twisting her lips, “Here, pass me that sonic… whatever you call it. I have an idea.”

He chuckled, digging his sonic screwdriver out of his coat pocket and offering it to her, though the sound quickly died on his lips as she knelt before the console. The memory flashed through his mind before he could stop it, the memory of the last time he’d seen her like this, on her knees, the barrel of a gun pressed to the back of her head.

“Doctor…” Bypassing the sonic device, she brushed her fingers against the back of his hand instead, startling him out of his thoughts. It was clear on her face that she’d seen it too, a grim expression maring her features, “It’s best not to dwell. Think of happier times instead.”

“Those times seem so few now.” He admitted, setting the screwdriver aside and lacing his fingers through hers, “Compared to all the bad.”

“All the more reason to hold tightly to them.” She advised, pressing a soft kiss to the back of his hand.

“Wise, as ever.” He smiled slightly.

“No.” She scoffed, slipping her hand free of his and retrieving the screwdriver, “Just old.”

“I miss you.” He told her softly, watching her pull the temporal stabilizer free from under the console and fiddle with one of the parts.

“I’m here when you need me.” She reminded him, then poked him in the chest with the end of the sonic screwdriver, “And here. Forever.”

“It’s not the same.”

“No. It’s not.” She agreed, finishing up what she was working on with a quick buzz from the sonic screwdriver, replacing it under the console and watching various systems come back online, “There. That’s better. She’ll be ready to go again soon.”

“Go where?” He wondered aloud.

“Anywhere you want.” She shrugged, then paused to think for a moment, “You should find someone. A new companion.”

He startled at that, shaking his head, “The war-”

“Is  _ over _ .” She reminded him gently.

“It’s too soon.”

“It’s the perfect time. You shouldn’t be alone. Especially not now.”

“I’m not alone.” He argued, “I have you.”

“And you always will.” She promised, “But you need to find someone else.”

“ _ Why _ ?” He pleaded.

“You know why.”

“I don’t want to.” He shook his head.

“I’m not real, Doctor.”

Hurt flashed across his face, “You’re my  _ wife _ .”

“I’m a  _ memory _ of your wife. You need someone real.” She pointed out gently, cupping his cheek.

Leaning into her touch, he closed his eyes, “What do I do?”

Sighing, Patience gave him a critical once over. “Shower.” She decided, “And eat something. Then do what you do best. Go looking for trouble.”

  
“I don’t-” He protested, but his words died on his lips as his eyes opened, searching the now empty console room. The  _ always _ empty console room.


End file.
